Coreopsis plant named ‘Enchanted Eve’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Coreopsis  named ‘Enchanted Eve’ that is characterized by its compact plant habit reaching an average of 23 cm in height and 50 cm in width, its nearly sterile florets result in a floriferous and long bloom season that does not require deadheading with bloom commencing in late-June and lasting until frost in Connecticut, its large inflorescences with ray florets that are light yellow in color with a two-toned red eye that expands to cover nearly the entire surface of the ray florets in cooler temperatures, its cold hardiness at least to U.S.D.A. Zone 5a, and its resistance to powdery mildew and leafspot.

Botanical classification: Coreopsis hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Enchanted Eve’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofCoreopsis plant, botanically of hybrid origin and known as Coreopsis‘Enchanted Eve’ and will be referred to hereinafter by its cultivarname, ‘Enchanted Eve’. The new cultivar of Coreopsis is an herbaceousperennial grown for landscape and container use.

The new invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program inHubbardston, Mass. The objective of the breeding program is to develophybrid cultivars of Coreopsis with unique and superior gardenattributes. In particular, to develop long-lived cultivars in a widerange of flower colors and plant forms that have sturdy plant habits,exhibit a true perennial habit, and are cold hardy to at least U.S.D.AZone 5a.

The new cultivar arose from a cross made by the Inventor in August of2010 in his test garden in Hubbardston, Mass. between an unnamed,proprietary plant in the Inventor's breeding program, reference no. T08-1 (not patented), as the female parent and pollen that was pooledfrom a variety of unnamed, proprietary plants (not patented) from hisbreeding program as the male parent (all nearly sterile). The exact maleparentage is therefore unknown. ‘Enchanted Eve’ was selected inSeptember 2011 as a single unique plant amongst the resulting seedlings.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stemcuttings under the direction of the Inventor in Kensington, Conn. inSeptember of 2011. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings has determinedthat the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and arereproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes incombination distinguish ‘Enchanted Eve’ as a new and distinct cultivarof Coreopsis.

-   -   1. ‘Enchanted Eve’ exhibits a compact plant habit reaching an        average of 23 cm in height and 50 cm in width.    -   2. ‘Enchanted Eve’ is nearly sterile and exhibits a floriferous        and long bloom season that does not require deadheading,        blooming commences in late-June and lasts until frost in        Kensington, Conn.    -   3. ‘Enchanted Eve’ exhibits large inflorescences with ray        florets that are light yellow in color with a suffused two-toned        red eye that expands to cover nearly the entire surface of the        ray florets in cooler temperatures.    -   4. ‘Enchanted Eve’ exhibits cold hardiness at least to U.S.D.A.        Zone 5a.    -   5. ‘Enchanted Eve’ exhibits resistance to powdery mildew and        leafspot.

The female parent differs from ‘Enchanted Eve’ in having largerinflorescences with ray florets that are white in color with a verysmall burgundy colored eye and in having a taller plant height.‘Enchanted Eve’ can be most closely compared to the Coreopsis cultivars‘Cosmic Eye’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,601) and ‘Little Sundial’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 18,460). ‘Cosmic Eye’ is similar to ‘Enchanted Eve’ inhaving a compact plant habit, in having large inflorescences, and inhaving a long bloom season that does not require deadheading. ‘CosmicEye’ differs from ‘Enchanted Eve’ in having inflorescences with rayflorets that are bright yellow in color with a large and well-definedburgundy colored eye, and in being more difficult to propagate afterflowering commences. ‘Little Sundial’ is similar to ‘Enchanted Eve’ inhaving a compact plant habit. ‘Little Sundial’ differs from ‘EnchantedEve’ in having a bun-shaped plant habit that is smaller in width (fillsthe pot less quickly) and in having inflorescences with ray florets thatare gold in color with a very small red colored blotch at the base(single color).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Coreopsis. The photograph inFIG. 1 was taken of five month-old plants of ‘Enchanted Eve’ as grown inoutdoors in the ground in New Braintree, Mass. The photographs in FIG. 2and FIG. 3 were taken of a three month-old plant (from a 128-cell plug)of ‘Enchanted Eve’ as grown outdoors in a one-gallon container inKensington, Conn.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a top view of two plants of ‘EnchantedEve’ in bloom during cooler temperatures (with red coloration expandedon ray florets).

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a view of ‘Enchanted Eve’ in bloom asgrown during warmer temperatures.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the inflorescencesof ‘Enchanted Eve’ as grown during warmer temperatures.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the digitalphotography techniques available, the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description accurately describe the colors of the newCoreopsis.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of plants of the new cultivarthat are three months in age (from a 128-cell plug) as grown outdoors inone-gallon containers in Kensington, Conn. The phenotype of the newcultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, andcultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withThe 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Blooms from late-June until frost in            Kensington, Conn.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Compact, clump-forming, and densely branched.        -   Height and spread.—An average of 23 cm in height and 50 cm            in width.        -   Cold hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A Zone 5a.        -   Diseases resistance.—Has been observed to be highly            resistant to powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera macularis            and leafspot by Pseudomonas cichorii.        -   Root description.—Fibrous when young, becoming more fleshy            with age.        -   Propagation.—Stem cuttings.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous, but stays compact, quickly fills out            a one-gallon container.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Oval, ridged.        -   Stem color.—Young stems; 146C, mature stems; 146C with            marking of 187A near the nodes, oldest part of the stem is            bark-like and a blend of N199B and 199A.        -   Stem size—Main stems; an average of 5 cm in length            (excluding terminal peduncle) and 2 mm in width, secondary;            average of 4 cm in length and 2 mm in width (excluding            peduncles).        -   Stem surface.—Young stems; glabrous, mature stems; ridged            and bark like.        -   Stem aspect.—Nearly vertical.        -   Branching habit.—An average of 8 main branches, up to 4            secondary branches per main stem.        -   Internode length.—An average of 2 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire to deeply tri-fid (almost            leaflet-like).        -   Leaf size.—Variable, up to 4 cm in length and 2 cm in width            when tri-fid, up to 4 cm in length and 6 mm in width when            entire.        -   Leaf shape.—Lanceolate when entire, lanceolate lobes when            tri-fid.        -   Leaf base.—Truncate to stem.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, not prominent, matches leaf color on            upper and lower surface.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous on upper and lower surface.        -   Leaf color.—Young and mature upper surface; 146A, young and            mature lower surface; 146B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Composite with a single row of ray            florets surrounding disk florets in the center, forming a            radiant head, inflorescences are borne on branch terminals            in loose corymbs.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—8 to 10 days until senescence            of ray florets, longer in cool temperatures, bracts and disk            florets are persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Faint fragrance.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—An average of 10 composite            inflorescences per corymb and one corymb per main branch.        -   Inflorescence size.—Corymbs; an average of 8 cm in width and            11 cm in height, composite; an average of 1 cm in depth and            up to 6 cm in diameter with disk portion an average of 1.4            cm in diameter.        -   Inflorescence buds.—An average of 6 mm in depth and in            diameter, spherical in shape, color; top 151A blend with 7A            in mid-section, base 144A.        -   Peduncle.—An average of 9 cm in length and 1 mm in width,            glabrous surface, 144A in color.-   Involucral bracts:    -   -   Bract number.—Two rows of 8.        -   Bract arrangement.—Outer bracts are un-fused and reflexed            when flower is fully open and becoming horizontal after ray            florets drop, inner bracts are 50% fused and surround            receptacle with a campanulate form with apical portion            un-fused, spreading, and held close to lower surface of ray            florets. 50% is fused at base, free portion is spreading            outward and reflexed when flower is fully open, held            horizontal after florets have dropped.        -   Bract size.—Outer bracts; an average of 1 cm in length and 4            mm in width, inner bracts 6 mm in length and 2 mm in width.        -   Bract color.—Outer bracts; translucent and N144A with base            146B, inner bracts 144A, with apex 147A and translucent            edges.        -   Bract texture.—Glabrous on both surfaces.        -   Bract apex.—Acute.        -   Bract base.—Truncate.        -   Bract margins.—Entire.        -   Bract shape.—Broadly lanceolate.-   Ray florets (sterile):    -   -   Number.—An average of 8 arranged primarily in one row.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Size.—An average of 2.3 cm in length and 1.5 cm in width.        -   Apex.—4 notched.        -   Base.—Broadly cuneate.        -   Margins.—Entire with apex notched.        -   Aspect.—Held horizontal to slightly downward.        -   Texture.—Glabrous on inner and outer surfaces.        -   Color.—Opening and fully open upper surfaces; 7A with a            slight overlay of 15A on the edges and margins, heavily            suffused with 183B at the base fading to a blend between 45C            and 182A to 182B towards the apex in cooler temperatures and            heavily suffused with 183B at the base fading to a moderate            suffusion with a blend between 45C and 182A to 182B towards            the basal-mid section further fading to a light suffusion            with 182B in the apical-mid section in warmer temperatures,            opening and fully open lower surfaces; 12A.-   Disk florets (perfect):    -   -   Shape.—Tubular, corolla is fused, flared at apex.        -   Number.—An average of 100.        -   Size.—About 4 mm in length and 1 mm in width.        -   Color.—En masse; 21A, corolla; base of tube is 11B in color,            flared portion is 17A and translucent.        -   Receptacle.—About 7 mm in diameter and 3 mm in depth, 145C            in color.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Presence.—Disk florets are perfect, ray florets are sterile.        -   Gynoecium.—1 Pistil, 4 mm in length, style is very fine and            about 13A in color and translucent, bifid pilose stigma is            21A in color with branches about 1 mm in length and            recurved, ovary is 3 mm in length, 1 mm in width, inferior,            and 5C in color.        -   Androcoecium.—5 stamens, fused into tube surrounding style,            2 mm in length and 0.5 mm in width, about 166A in color, no            pollen observed.        -   Fruit/seed.—No fruit or seed development was observed,            plants have been observed to be nearly sterile.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Coreopsis plant named‘Enchanted Eve’ as herein illustrated and described.